A Mystery To Some
by girl in the glen
Summary: Assignment 5 leaves Steel in need of an answer to a mystery.
1. Chapter 1: What Did She Mean By That?

The conversation had been brief, a few remarks about two people who had differing levels of affection for each other. Steel thought the man was in love with the female he escorted to the party. Sapphire informed him that no, he was in fact only using the girl.

"Isn't it the same thing?" he had asked, unaware of the discrepancy in his understanding.

"No, not on this planet", was the reply. Cool and uncalculating, Sapphire had spoken it with only a hint of her real meaning.

Now, thinking back on it as he had been doing for quite some time, Steel was also remembering other moments within that assignment.

Sapphire kissed him. Certainly it had been only a pretext in order to ward off any other questions from that ridiculous woman Emma. A married couple stealing away for a kiss made perfect sense to her, and Sapphire had known that it would. Steel had not. Steel had been … affected.

"No, not on this planet." What did she mean by that? Not on this planet, but yes elsewhere? Yes among their kind, perhaps…

Steel did not imagine… did not flatter himself that he understood the emotional make up of a human being. His own nature was, by definition, hard and unyielding. He was not the master of his own fate, he had not the ability to change his composition. Or did he?

Sapphire is not a malleable thing, not soft or without hard and sharp edges. The beauty of Sapphire is not in her ability to absorb but in her inability to not deflect. She is a force to be reckoned with. Steel ought to know, he's had to engage her more times than he …

_Steel? Did you call me, Steel?_

_No, I was simply … Where are you?_

_Close by. Closer than you know._

What sort of an answer was that? Steel intensified his resistance to the discussion he was having with himself. Love was not at issue, nor was the idea of using someone. He did not use Sapphire, he did not …

_Sapphire, come here please._

_Do you wish to see me, or simply speak to me?_

_Does it matter?_

_Yes._

_Why?_

_You know why._

Steel did know why. And knowing that, he no longer had an excuse.


	2. Chapter 2: The Unknown Element

Sapphire entered the room and surveyed her surroundings with a keen eye and heightened senses. She could feel him. Something was wrong, but whether or not it was dangerous…

_Steel? Are we playing a game of some sort? Please come out from wherever you're hiding._

This wasn't like Steel. He had called her though, of that Sapphire had no doubt.

_I'm right here, Sapphire. I'm…_

…_right beside me. Steel, I can't see you._

Sapphire sensed him next to her, felt his presence even though she could not see the blond man who spoke to her.

"Why can't I see you?" She imagined his face as his voice filled the air.

"Time has drawn a barrier between us. I am in the last moment before you walked in the room. Something has allowed this breach to create a wall between us. We are separated by mere seconds."

Sapphire likened time to corridors when explaining to people the dangers of letting the wrong time into one's present. Now, literally speaking, Steel was in one of those corridors and it was so close to her that she could feel him. And yet, he wasn't here.

_Can you see me, Steel?_

_No, but I hear you and…_

Sapphire felt a hand brush across her cheek.

_I can feel you._

The sensation of that caress beguiled her completely. She placed her own hand in the space where she felt Steel's voice was coming from.

There. She let her fingers trace the features she knew by heart, brushing his lips very softly before she put her face close enough to kiss this invisible man. Steel did not withdraw, but encircled her waist with his hands, pulling Sapphire closer into his body in defiance of the separation Time had tried to construct.

The breach was unable to withstand the force of the two elements in the heat of passion. The barrier snapped back, breaking down and forcing Time to adjust once again in accordance to the singular frame in which Sapphire and Steel had joined together.

"Oh, I see you now. We seem to have repaired the damage." Sapphire smiled at the face she held in such high esteem. He had been quite compelling as an invisible man, but she still much preferred to see the face she was kissing.

Steel allowed a small smile to escape, but he wasn't willing to admit just yet that he had found the deed entirely enjoyable. It was a tool for repairing Time. Surely Sapphire understood that. Surely.

"I believe Time is restored, and we no longer need…" Sapphire needed to know if the kissing was as good now as it was before. Once again Steel yielded to Sapphire's lips quite willingly, hesitating as she pulled away.

"Hmmm… yes, just as I thought." That produced a questioning expression on Steel's face.

"What do you mean? And why did you do that, Sapphire? There is no longer any reason for it, Time is repaired to its proper place." Like any male of any species, an explanation seemed to be in order for him to have any hope of understanding the action of the female.

"Steel, something about our kissing was powerful enough to disengage the barrier and set Time back on course. Why do you think that is?"

Steel had no answer to that question, and so he decided that more information was needed.

This time the kiss was his idea.


End file.
